A lady I met once

Wandering through a store the other day I noticed something on the counter. It had a ticket on it saying 70% off and looked very pretty. Interested in having a closer look, I picked it up and opened it out. As I did so, a rather terse comment came from the lady not far from me, “I think you will find that is mine!” and with that she pulled it out of my hands. Obviously she had laid claim to it but had failed to keep it in her hands.

This ‘mine’ culture is very strong and has been for a very long time; in days-gone-by the jumble sales would be like this. I can remember hearing a story on the television of how a woman put her coat down to try another on and someone came along and tried to buy hers! She had a bad time getting it back from what I remember.

So how important is it to teach our youngsters the ‘mine’ attitude and where does it apply and not apply? I can often recall times when children would have done well to stand up for what was theirs and claim rights over things rather than allow the bully to take it away, because they could.

The lady in the shop looked at me straight in the eyes and accused me of stealing her goods and it was people like me who gave people like her a bad time in life and that people like me should be locked up. What could I do except grin from one side of my face to the other? Such stupid statements, such amazing presumptions, and incredible deductions, I am so glad she doesn't run our country or our laws, we would all be in for a bad ride.

She became very angry and shouted, “What do you think is so funny? You think you own the place…..” It went on and she really did disappear into a string of fascinating assumptions but I allowed her to finish and when she stopped I smiled widely, and said, “I am so sorry I didn’t realise you were buying that as a present for your daughter, she will look wonderful in it.” and with that I turned and went on my way. Of course she wasn’t buying it for her daughter and yes it was a put down but it gave me the out and her something to be confused over. Perhaps she could add that to her tirade of insults for the next person.